Vijay Rupani appointed as new Gujarat CM, says will make the state a role model for India

Ahmedabad: The Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday evening announced Vijay Rupani as the 16th Chief Minister of Gujarat, with senior cabinet minister Nitin Patel as Deputy Chief Minister.

After bagging the “great” responsibility, Rupani told media that he and Patel are thankful for such a big opportunity.

He further vowed to put in all the efforts to make Gujarat a role model state for India.

"We will take forward the slogan of 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas' given by Narendrabhai Modi and together fight the coming 2017 elections. We will try to make Gujarat a model state for the entire country through the politics of development, the pace of which has been set by Narendra Modi and Anandiben Patel."

Talking to media, Union Minister for Road Transport and Shipping Nitin Gadkari said the name of Rupani was finalised for the top spot after a unanimous decision was taken by the BJP in this regard. “We discussed it with everyone, including the PM (Narendra Modi).”

Over 10 BJP ministers supported Rupani as CM and Patel as deputy CM, said Gadkari. Earlier, speculations were doing the rounds that Patel would be made Anandiben Patel's successor as Gujarat CM.

Under these two men, Gujarat will reach new heights of development, and in the near future, the BJP will achieve success, added Gadkari.

The decision was taken at a meeting of the BJP legislature party chaired by national party president Amit Shah with Union Minister Nitin Gadkari and MP Saroj Pandey as observers from the central leadership.

Anandiben Patel, the first woman Chief Minister of Gujarat, had announced her resignation in a surprise Facebook post on Monday.